Through the window
by Koko-13
Summary: "He never imagined living long enough to see Seto Kaiba and Ishizu Ishtar conspire against him and much less get married, life was going around a lot while he drifted away, for when he realized he held a red-eyed baby who was smiling at him like if he knew him all his life. And he grew so fast!" [Post canon] [Blindshipping] [Implicit Trustshipping]


_Don't cry in spite of such a [lovely] night_

_All alone holding your knees_

_Because things will hasten while you're waiting_

_Before the midnight bell tolls_

I Wish (L'Arc~en~Ciel)

**Through the window**

Since Yugi Muto began to consider himself an adult the mornings of the day after Christmas, the twenty-six of December in the Turtle's game store provoked him much melancholy.

He never lived in another place, so he could remember the first hollidays of his life in the place, his father returned from where he was working bringing with him a new game or toy and had fun together for another day or maybe two. When Yugi turned ten years old, Mr. Muto got more job responsibilities and stopped coming home for Christmas, he was grateful for his grandfather's company who always taught him something exciting, also his mother sometimes used to play with him, listening carefully to the instructions as well always ended up arranging them at her convenience however, Yugi wanted to have friends with whom to live interesting adventures and spend time; he wished that with all his heart for years, until he assembled the millennium puzzle.

He spent a single Christmas with the conscience of who Atem was, the ancient pharaoh did not usually ask anything about modern society, regardless how lost he was, he merely watched through the eye of the wdajt as the Mutos decorated the store, whispered his opinion about the gifts in his ear, to listen with particular attention to the thematic music that sounded throughout the city. That Christmas Eve Yugi left him in control of his body for a while so that he could eat some fried chicken and mint chocolates, maybe he should have done it at the time of receiving gifts clearly for both of them, such as couple bracelets for those his friends explained how want to have a way of identifying them further the serious expression. For some reason Atem did not leave his old puzzle to share the shame with him.

The first Christmas without Atem was also without Anzu and Bakura, just after graduation they left for America and Europe respectively. The first Christmas without Jounochi and Honda was when the three turned twenty-one, the shark boy expanded his father's business to Tokyo where he married Shizuka and his best friend got a good sponsor in America with which to fulfill his dream of being a professional duelist; finally, the last Christmas without the grandfather and his mother was three years ago, after his death, she left to Kanto where her father used to spend more time.

Since the last years the end of a celebration full of joy was marked by loneliness and memories of other times accompanied by friends and family. At twenty-nine, loneliness was faithful to Yugi and he remained happy knowing the happiness present in his loved ones.

The only constant throughout his life was the routine after the holidays, the first thing he had to do was keep the wrapping paper and Christmas cards, offer some items with seasonal motifs and remove the huge artificial pine to the center of he recently expanded store.

—Good morning, mr. Yugi!

A little ray of Sun came into the store smiling, a nine-year-old Egyptian boy so similar to Atem that it was painful to just see him, his energetic joy brought Yugi out of his melancholy thoughts.

—Good morning, young Atem.

Kaiba-Ishtar Atem was his full name, didn't matter how Yugi asked his father why he called him as the former pharaoh he always asked him to "not lie to himself" and his mother smiled mysteriously.

He never imagined living long enough to see Seto Kaiba and Ishizu Ishtar conspire against him and much less get married, life was going around a lot while he drifted away, for when he realized he held a red-eyed baby who was smiling at him like if he knew him all his life. And he grew so fast!

—Atem, I told you not to call him mr. —Marik reprimanded, entering the store—. Good morning Yugi.

—Good morning, Marik.

To be fair to the boy, Yugi had not changed much compared to when Marik met him, he did justice to the belief about longevity of asian people.

—Mother says the "mr." is important when referring to my elders —he explained with an atypical seriousness in any child.

—Your mother is too formal.

—Then... Yugi boss, Merry Christmas!

—Boss? —Asked the king of the games.

—Because I coming to help you to remove the tree and one day I will work in the store with you —he declared with absolute conviction.

—Then I won't be able to give you Christmas present, it would be inappropriate to give gifts to employees like that —Yugi pretended to be disappointed by crossing his arms.

The boy's face lit up at the thought of receiving something, then changed to a thoughtful countenance.

—We have not signed a contract yet.

Yugi wanted to laugh at such an occurrence, contenting himself by shaking Atem's hair and bent down to say:

—They are under the tree.

While he hurried to find this gift, Marik headed for the exit.

—Thanks for agreeing to take care of him for a couple of hours, yesterday he kept talking about you and asking to visit you to wish you a merry Christmas, he has never been a capricious or insistent child with anything but he had us so fed up that Mokuba was about to bring him and force Isono to take care of the store if necessary.

—I can imagine, the store looks full of life at Christmas is like a dream for the children.

They are under the tree.

—Not for the store, for you, Yugi; Seto said that if he heard him speak wonders of "Mr. Yugi" again he would have a migraine.

—What a shame, I'm so sorry for Kaiba —he said with pink cheeks.

He could be the Duel Monsters champion and a renowned game designer, but he was not used to the admiration of anyone.

—Not only Seto, we're all a bit annoyed to hear your name, one of KC's guards is going to be outside the store and I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a couple of hours, Atem!

—It's all right, uncle Marik!

The blond left and Yugi went to sit next to the Egyptian boy at the foot of the Christmas tree who stacked the three boxes wrapped in metallic paper with Christmas motifs in silver, gold and red colors.

—All these are for me?

—All of them have your name.

—Thank you very much, Yugi.

He began to unwrap them excitedly while Yugi wondered if they were appropriate for someone of his age, Atem spent his time in Egypt with Ishizu, traveling in holiday seasons to Domino with Seto Kaiba in which he visited him often, so he somehow knew him well.

—A Kuriboh backpack!

As soon as he opened it, he hung it on his back giving to Yugi the impression that it might be a bad idea to give it to him, who knows how Kaiba would react when he saw his son walking around carrying the monster he hated the most. He could not do anything for her former schoolmate, Atem liked Kuriboh more than dragons, Ishizu narrated with some mockery that her husband broke his heart when he heard such a statement from the boy.

He then unwrap a set of three-dimensional puzzles and an initial duel monsters deck focused on spellcasters.

—This is amazing! Will you teach me how to play?

—No, your parents are amazing duelists, you should learn of them.

—Mother has said that until I turn ten.

—That's fine, I'm not going to disobey Mrs. Ishizu.

—Uncle Marik doesn't care, he has already explained to me about monster, spell and trap cards.

—He has always been a rebel, no one else could challenge your mother, she is even able to give Kaiba his deserved.

—But you are the strongest duelist of all.

—Nothing can beat a woman when it comes to her children —he continued refusing as he folded the paper on the floor.

—Fine —he gave up, frowning and crossing his arms—. I will beat you using this deck as soon as I learn, Yugi.

—I will be looking forward to you.

They did the tasks of that day while Atem asked the adult about everything in the store, about the duel of monsters, his games, his travels, his old times and relationships, spreading a good mood to Yugi, making him think about how many fun things could design to make a game funnier.

—These six-sided Christmas dice are very pretty, that's why are only a couple left —said the egyptian, putting things in a box with items on sale—. They are dice from Dungeon Dice Monsters, right?

—Do you know it? Otogi has told me that the game is not so popular among young people compared to his stores.

—Mr. Otogi bought my father's technology, he had to see the confrontation you had with him many years ago. It was very exciting! You seemed so determined to win!

_I felt how determined you were to win, aibo._

—It was amazing!

_It was amazing._

The king of the games was out of breath for a few seconds, with pain and guilt burning in his chest like every time he saw the old pharaoh in the boy.

—You seem sad today, Yugi boss.

—I must be very tired. I've had a lot of work.

—No, I've seen my parents tired and they don't look like that.

—I'm fine, Atem.

The boy took Yugi's hand to get his attention and the deep look of those carmine eyes reminded him because sometimes he was so uncomfortable in his presence, because he was only nine years old and had the power to undress his soul.

Just like Atem.

And that made him miss him so much.

—Christmas makes me feel melancholy.

—Because do you miss someone?

Feeling the touch of the warm hands of the child Yugi faced what he was so afraid to, he was not going to tell how much he missed his friends because they were already happy in their places in the world, he was not going to say that he missed his grandfather and Atem because they were not going back.

And it didn't matter if Kaiba-Ishtar Atem was a reincarnation or not of the old pharaoh, he would never accept which replacement as it would not be fair to him.

—At my age it is normal to miss many people.

There was a short silence in which the egyptian boy seemed to think too much, dealing with how much he was able to unravel the adult mystery that Yugi Muto represented, why did he sometimes look so sad? Why in the repetitions of past duels he seemed to carry a heavy weight on his back? What secrets did he hide?

His mother used to talk to him about the importance of being patient, all the questions asked during the hot nights in Egypt in which his childish mind was busy worrying and admiring another person from the other side of the world instead of the cartoon hero on duty always topic of conversation with classmates at school.

—A friend of mine left this world many years ago, of course, I learned not to suffer for it —Yugi said slowly, in a low voice, embarrassed to talk that to a child twenty years younger. After a pause he continued—. Maybe I will never be able to forget it completely.

—Can you forget a person who you loved?

Yugi blinked a couple of times surprised by the overwhelming truth discovered by little Atem, his best response was to smile at him affectionately as he took the box full of spheres.

—No, you're right. I don't want to forget how much I loved him.

He went to the basement where they kept almost all the decoration, the egyptian observed his back feeling all the emotions he recognized stirring in his stomach with some unknown to him until then. He had never seen such a beautiful gesture drawn on a adult's features, so similar to how his parents sometimes looked.

—And do you love me? —he asked in the basement doorway, with total innocence.

—Of course I love you, Atem.

—How to that person? —he insisted without moving from his place, feeling his little heart in an abyss of uncertainty.

—Well, I loved that person as your parents love each other —he explained with his cheeks flushed.

—You can love me that way too.

—Atem, you're too young for that, we should love those of our age that way.

He wasn't going to take it very seriously, it was common to see children infatuated with those they admired.

—But I want him to marry you.

Maybe if he gave him what he wanted...

—Well, if one day you manage if you manage to take me off the title of king of the games I will marry you.

—Then promise him with the pinky.

—Eh?

He began to laugh nervously when he saw Atem lift his finger completely determined, he could be an adult about to turn thirty but the promises for his pinky were still serious, he approached Atem who looked a little taller than him for being upstairs without knowing how to escape from that.

—Atem! It is time to return to the Kaiba tower, I have about thirty missed calls from Isono, he will have a heart attack if we do not return.

Marik's voice coming to the store entrance was the perfect Deus Ex Machina that Yugi needed and he could breathe again. He climbed a step and Atem extended his hand to help him or that's the elder believed, instead he brought it to his lips kissing the hand's back delicately.

The Japanese stayed like a stone and taking advantage of that intertwined their pinkies, sealing the promise between them.

—I will beat you with the deck you has given to me and when I become the king of the games you will have to marry me —he turned on his heels, showing his uncle a completely red but determined face—. Come on uncle Marik, I have to convince mother to teach me how to play Duel Monsters.

He left walking nervously for what he just did and the blond smiled funny at Yugi.

—I see why he doesn't stop talking about you, Yugi. You will be fine?

—Do you think Kaiba and Ishizu will find me if I hide in Thailand and dedicate to harvest rice?

—Come on, whether or not to keep the promise, you're dead my dear friend —he sneered out of the store—. Merry Christmas, Yugi.

The Japanese sat behind the counter laughing at the situation and himself, feeling his loneliness fade completely.

It was going to be fine, he knew it.

_The end_.


End file.
